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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28442376">Feel the Music</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ejejie/pseuds/ejejie'>ejejie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff and Humor, One Shot, aayla being extra, bly just coming along for the ride, with a little bit of angst cause yknow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:27:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,348</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28442376</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ejejie/pseuds/ejejie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>General Secura opened her eyes; caught up in the music, Bly didn’t realize that she was holding out her hand to him. Gingerly, he clasped it in his own, not sure what she wanted. She laughed, smiling wide.</p><p>“May I have this dance?”</p><p>As she gave a small bow, Bly nodded wordlessly, grateful he was still wearing his helmet. </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>CC-5052 | Bly &amp; Aayla Secura, CC-5052 | Bly/Aayla Secura</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Feel the Music</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first thing Bly noticed about her was her smile.</p><p>Some would say it wasn’t the most noticeable thing about General Aayla Secura; far from it. They would mention her deep blue skin, hues like a mid-morning sky when the day hadn’t quite woken up from its nighttime rest. Or maybe the lekku, because they were always a source of fascination to non-Twi’leks, as General Secura would wryly point out one day (on one of the rare occasions when they got to rest, just sipping tea in her quarters and listening to the steady thrum of ship life). Or maybe even her physique, all well-built and defined muscle that twisted artfully when she leaped and bounded and practically <em>flew</em> through the air like some sort of bright-feathered bird as she fought.</p><p>And sure, Bly noticed all of those things. He would be blind not to, and blind not to appreciate her for all that she was. But it was her smile that he always remembered being the first thing he noticed, that fateful day that they’d met.</p><p>No one had ever looked at him like that, with a gentle light in their eyes and a soft smile curving their lips. He’d never felt so free as he had in that moment, his heart thumping out a staccato rhythm in his chest. For a second, it was just him and her. General and Commander. Jedi and Clone.</p><p>Later, he realized that he’d probably been gaping like a fish. He knew, though, that the other men wouldn’t judge, as they were all doing the same.</p><p>And when she spoke in a soft, accented voice, asking him what his name was—well. From then on, he was gone.</p><p>(He’d heard about what a <em>crush</em> was, whispered around the halls of Kamino like it was some sort of dangerous secret. For a clone, he supposed it <em>was</em>.)</p><p>But the rumors didn’t really do it justice. Not at all, in fact. Words couldn’t really describe the way it felt to fight beside her, blood thrumming with fire as they cut through swathes of blank metal faces together; the elation of victory as the battalion set another world free from the Seps’ cruelty; the cool balm of her presence on his wounded pride and spirit when they suffered defeat, soothing his misery with kind words and a calm disposition.</p><p>Nor did they describe the more personal things. Like how his stomach fluttered when she picked him up while he was wounded, slung him over her shoulder and carried him through a jungle, the humidity making his blacks stick to him like a second skin; and how when she leaned over his shoulder to look at plans, it was a struggle not to stare at her the whole time, feeling his skin heat; and how his heart soared when he made her laugh, surprisingly loud for how composed she normally was.</p><p>Force, but he was down bad.</p><p>He was in so deep, he mused, that even now, stuck on this miserable grey rock of a planet, he wasn’t feeling all that bad. General Secura sat cross-legged beside him, back to his back. He could feel the heat from her skin radiating through his blacks; he wondered how she wasn’t cold like that, the air around them heavy with fog and just a few degrees above frigid. More than a few of the men were shivering, to the point that she’d given them her robe. Every now and then, she’d check on them, concern evident in her voice and in the way she put a hand on each man’s shoulder. They took turns reassuring her they were fine, it was just a little damp. Being from Kamino, they knew how to handle it. But <em>she</em>, on the other hand…</p><p>He voiced his concerns, turning to face her. Or rather, to face her spine, surrounded by well-defined back muscles. She tilted her head, and he caught a glimpse of a smile.</p><p>“I am as warm as I need to be,” she murmured. “The Force helps me.” Sensing his skepticism, she cracked open one eye, smile widening slightly. “I run hotter than you and your brothers, Bly. Don’t worry.”</p><p>“With all due respect General, that’s all I do.” She sighed fondly, uncrossing her legs to kneel instead. She brought her hands to her lap, closing her eyes.</p><p>“I know, Bly. Perhaps, then, we should get some exercise, if it would soothe your mind? It may warm us up, as well.” In one fluid motion she stood, offering him a hand which he eagerly took.</p><p>“I’d- I’d be happy to, but-” Bly turned his head this way and that, looking around. “What did you have in mind, sir?” There wasn’t much in the way of terrain, much less terrain that it would be safe to exercise on. He wasn’t feeling all that up to exerting himself next to the edges of cliffs still slick with mist.</p><p>But General Secura seemed to know something he didn’t, resting her hand on one of the newer men’s shoulders—what was it? Ray? Rain?</p><p>“Raid,” she asked, and Bly privately consoled himself that at least he’d been <em>close</em>. “Do you still have that <em>upgrade</em> to your armor?”</p><p>Raid grinned toothily up at her, scrambling to his feet. “Sure do! Just let me set ‘er up.” He paused, considering. “Though, uh. General?”</p><p>The General seemed very amused at his antics, folding her arms, lekku twitching with humor. “Yes, young one?”</p><p>Raid scratched the back of his head. “I dunno if I’ll be able to pick up anything. This rock is pretty isolated.”</p><p>“Oh, you’d be surprised,” she responded, winking. When Raid flushed, giddy in the way that shinies always were when their General noticed them for the first time, Bly couldn’t help the spike of jealousy that flared in his chest. He stepped up behind her, trying his best to convey with his eyes to the kid that he should <em>back off</em>. Unfortunately for him, the helmet kind of muted the effect; the kid kept staring at her like she was the sun, moon, and stars.</p><p>Bly could relate.</p><p>When the staring had gone on long enough, General Secura having closed her eyes as if waiting for something, one of the kid’s batchmates coughed and nudged him. Raid startled, before fumbling around with a patch on his arm, adjusting the antenna on the back of his armor.</p><p>Whatever Bly was expecting, it wasn’t the sharp sound of static blaring out of a speaker on the kid’s helmet. Raid jumped, quickly messing with a strange looking dial and muttering quiet <em>sorrys</em>. General Secura gave no indication that it bothered her, her only reaction being a slight twitch of lekku when the noise first came on.</p><p>And then… then it was different.</p><p>It took Bly a few moments to recognize the new sound as <em>music</em>. The quality wasn’t great, and the song was a bit repetitive, the same eight chords of synth accompanied a slow beat and a soaring singer’s voice; but <em>still</em>. The men looked at each other, bewildered.</p><p>General Secura opened her eyes; caught up in the music, Bly didn’t realize that she was holding out her hand to him. Gingerly, he clasped it in his own, not sure what she wanted. She laughed, smiling wide.</p><p>“May I have this dance?”</p><p>As she gave a small bow, Bly nodded wordlessly, grateful he was still wearing his helmet. </p><p>Much less what to expect, it turned out, as she pulled him behind her, right to the middle of the camp. He ignored the whoops of the men around them as she lifted his hand over her head, twirling with a serene grace that left him struggling to catch up.</p><p>“Wha-” he began, not sure what to do with his hands. She spun around again, this time on her own, pirouetting backwards. He took a small step back, intimidated. “General, I don’t know how to dance!”</p><p>She laughed, coming back towards him and taking his hands. “Neither do I! Just feel the music,” she chimed, pulling one of his hands close to her, pushing one away, then alternating between the two. She stepped to her right; guessing what she wanted, he followed.</p><p>“<em>Get it</em>, Bly!”</p><p>Bly spun around to glare at whoever had said that; to his surprise, General Secura held on, laughing as she bounded gracefully around with him, letting his momentum carry her. He yelped, trying to catch her by stopping his turn; she released one of his hands and spun in the air, fully parallel to the ground. Wide eyed, he reacted without thinking, reaching out and catching her.</p><p>“General,” he panted, worry lacing his thoughts. “<em>What</em> were you doing?”</p><p>“Oh, Bly,” she guffawed. Then she was grabbing his shoulders, jumping two-footed off the ground to do a handstand on them, before vaulting off, doing several (rather impressive) flips in the air. The men cheered as she landed in a crouch, grinning at the rest of her unit. “Well? You all going to make us dance by ourselves?”</p><p>A chorus of <em>no sirs</em> rang out, clones eagerly getting up to fill the makeshift dance floor. Out of the corner of his eye, Bly spotted Raid messing with his armor, somehow turning the volume up til the song was ringing around the clearing. The shiny was practically <em>vibrating</em> with glee.</p><p>Bly rolled his eyes, striding over. “Hey. Rookie.”</p><p>Raid smiled, a ten-kilowatt smile that made a small part of Bly’s heart hurt when he thought of what was in store for him. “Yes, sir? You like my radio?”</p><p>Before he knew it, he could feel a wry smile taking over his own face. “Yeah, kid. I do.”</p><p>Raid looked somewhere past Bly’s shoulder, smile somehow getting wider. “I think General Secura’s, uh. Calling you.”</p><p>Bly raised a brow underneath his helmet, turning around; he couldn’t help but laugh at the sight he was met with. General Secura was miming pulling him in with a fishing rod, egged on by two men beside her.</p><p>“I guess I’d better go,” he replied, edging back towards the dance floor. General Secura changed tactics, sprinting forwards and spinning over him, landing behind him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.</p><p>He dropped into a crouch, trying to throw her overhead; she followed his lead, flipping and twisting through the air to land in front of him. He stood, intending to reach for her hands, and was surprised when he found them gently holding onto either side of his helmet instead. He inclined his head, putting his hands over hers.</p><p>She smiled, and he recognized it as that same calm, gentle one that she’d given him when they first met. Only—no, it wasn’t the same. It was fonder, more familiar. Somehow even warmer than before. His heart thumped loudly in his chest at the sight.</p><p>When she leaned in, pressing a kiss to the forehead of his helmet, it skipped a beat.</p><p>Then, as quickly as she’d done it, she drew away, wrapping an arm around his waist and using the other to take his hand. He copied her, heat pooling in his gut as she pressed against him, sighing.</p><p>In that moment, he wondered if he should say something. If he should tell her how he felt. How it was so <em>right</em> being beside her.</p><p>How much he loved her smile.</p><p>But as they swayed back and forth, the blaring of the music like a distant echo in his ears, he decided that was for another time.</p><p>Right now, he would just feel the music.</p>
<hr/><p>CC-5052 sighed, grunting as he dropped into a seat in the break room. Stormtroopers waded in and out, doing their best not to show that they were avoiding him. Doing their best not to even look at him, really. He supposed that they probably didn’t know what to make of him.</p><p>There weren’t many of them left, as it was. The clones had been made to serve the Republic in a war that was long over—most of them were at the end of their rope. Bly himself felt every year his body had been through; they wore him down, like mileage on a speeder.</p><p>He removed his helmet to take a sip of his drink. Bland, powdery; so no different from what he’d been drinking his whole life. He tipped his head back, letting it run down his throat. There was an odd prickling sensation at the back of his neck, one that made him rub it reflexively.</p><p>Perhaps it was the chill—were he to ever find the person who designed this base, he’d give them an earful about the importance of heating.</p><p>Someone walked past him to turn on the radio, the sound of switches being flipped and dials being turned breaking the near-silence around him. Now <em>that</em> was one thing that was different. He remembered that before the Jedi’s betrayal, the clones all ate in a mess that was rarely less noisy than quite a few decibels.</p><p>Static jumped out of the radio, prompting a few quiet curses and dirty looks cast at whoever was fiddling with it. CC-5052 remained quiet, not bothering to look over. It wasn’t like the idiot drawing attention to himself would be identifiable, anyway.</p><p>Just when it seemed like the stormtrooper wouldn’t get it to work, he banged the radio with a fist in frustration, grumbling to himself. And soon after, out came music.</p><p>Eight chords, with a slow beat, and a soaring singer’s voice.</p><p>Unconsciously, CC-5052 began to tap his fingers on the side of his cup. He closed his eyes, leaning forward and sighing, shakily.</p><p>Getting the feeling he was being watched, he opened his eyes back up, and was surprised to see several of the troopers stealing furtive glances at him.</p><p>It was only when he looked down at his reflection in the table, that he realized he was crying.</p><p>That night, he dreamt of bright-feathered birds in midmorning skies, and a warm smile that made his heart skip a beat.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I was listening to Quinn Lewis' "If I Could Dance" when I wrote this, so yeah that's my inspiration for this. you can think of whatever song you want for them to be listening to though, lol</p><p>Working on some other stuff, but this popped in my head, and I couldn't get it out. So here it is! I just really love the clones and the Jedi, and how extra they all are</p><p>Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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